Contourable inflatable orthopedic pillow

ABSTRACT

A pillow that includes an inflatable bladder surrounded by a resilient layer. The bladder may be inflated to various levels to achieve a desired level of orthopedic support. In some embodiments of the invention, the pillow may include an outer comfort layer of softer material than the firm inner core. Optionally, an integral hand pump may be included on the pillow for inflation purposes.

CLAIM FOR PRIORITY

[0001] Applicant claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 60/199,587 filed on Apr. 25, 2000 and to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 60/216,021 filed on Jul. 3, 2000.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] This invention relates to the field of cushions of all types,particularly but not limited to cushions for beds, such as head pillowsand mattresses, and furniture, including the main cushions for sittingand lying as well as the loose cushions and pillows associated with sometypes of furniture. Those skilled in the art will recognize the myriadof applications for the cushions of the invention.

[0004] 2. Background Art

[0005] There is considerable prior art in the field of ergonomic,orthopedic or contoured pillows and cushions. The objective of the priorart devices is to support the head and neck during sleep in a positionthat is similar to the position of the head and neck in a standing orsitting person during waking hours. To that end, the pillows are thickerin the portion that underlies the neck and thinner in the portion thatunderlies the head. Most of the prior art orthopedic cushions have threegeneral sections: (1) a shallow center portion for the head to restupon; (2) a bulbous edge portion thicker than the center portion for theneck to rest upon while lying on one's back; and (3) opposite from thisbulbous edge portion, an even thicker bulbous secondary edge portion forthe neck to rest upon while lying on one's side.

[0006] There are also numerous prior art orthopedic cushions thatcontain inflatable bladders. These bladders are to adjust the firmnessof one or more of the three above-described sections of the pillow, andto a very limited extent, the contour. Examples of such cushions includeU.S. Pat. Nos. 4,501,034; 4,528,705; 4,829,614; 4,979,249; and5,068,933, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference. Thesepillows are all meant to be a very specific shape to accomplish thedesigns of the inventor. None of them are of such a shape that they canbe turned over and used on the other side.

[0007] Unfortunately, orthopedic pillows are still in only limited use.Their cost is generally higher than for non-orthopedic pillows,especially those orthopedic pillows containing inflatable bladders. Thebladder configurations of prior art pillows are all complex in nature,significantly adding to the cost. A major reason for rejecting prior artorthopedic pillows is the radical departure from traditional (flat)pillow shapes, to which the user has a difficult time adjusting.

[0008] None of the highly-shaped orthopedic pillows of the prior artaddress the need for a pillow that is adjustable in shape in the rangefrom flat to fully contoured. There exists a need for such a pillow, sothat the user can gradually adjust the pillow over the course of manynights to have more and more contour, until he or she is used to thefull orthopedic shape and can thus reap the full benefits.

[0009] There also exists a need for such a pillow for those that cannever get used to the full orthopedic shape, but can still reap thepartial benefit from a shape that is somewhere between flat and fullycontoured. There exists a need for such a pillow in situations where thepillow is used by different people on different nights, such as in aperson's guest room or in a hotel, so that each person can adjust thepillow to his or her preference, including completely flat.

[0010] There exists a need for such a pillow because every person's bodyis different, and sleep positions differ, and a pillow that iscompletely adjustable as to the degree of orthopedic bulbousness willaccommodate more people than the many prior art pillows whose shape isset by the pillow design. There also exists a need for an adjustableorthopedic pillow that is less complex and is inexpensive relative toprior-art bladder-type orthopedic pillows. There also exists a need foran orthopedic pillow that can be flipped over and used on either side.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONS

[0011] The pillows of the invention in their various embodiments addressthese needs. In its non-inflated form, one embodiment of the inventionis completely flat like a standard foam pillow. It uses an exceptionallysimple, single chamber flat-welded bladder that is very inexpensive toproduce and install. It can be adjusted by inflation to any degree ofbulbousness from completely flat to fully orthopedic, thus allowing theuser to either set it permanently at the desired degree or to graduallyincrease the bulbousness as he or she gets used to having an orthopedicpillow. It allows different users to set the degree of bulbousness totheir own preference or their own body's needs. The construction issimple and takes little labor, and the materials are inexpensive, thusallowing the pillow to be made at low relative cost. This orthopedicpillow of the invention can be flipped over and used on either side.

[0012] In other embodiments of the orthopedic pillows of the invention,other features are added which add additional desired properties.Persons of ordinary skill in the art will comprehend the objects,features and advantages of the inventions on reading the text of thepatent in conjunction with the appended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013]FIG. 1A depicts an embodiment of the invented pillow without airin its interior.

[0014]FIGS. 1B and 1C depict the air bladder pillow of FIG. 1A partiallyfilled with air.

[0015]FIG. 1D depicts the air bladder pillow of FIG. 1A fully inflatedwith air.

[0016] FIGS. 2A-2H depict another embodiment of the invention fromuninflated to fully inflated.

[0017] FIGS. 3A-3C depict embodiments of the invention with an outercushioning layer on a pillow substrate.

[0018] FIGS. 4A-4D depict embodiments of the invention intended to befilled with a soft filler material other than a gas.

[0019]FIG. 5 depicts another bladder of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Referring to FIGS. 1A-1D, one embodiment of the invention isdepicted.

[0021]FIG. 1A shows the pillow 100 in its flat configuration prior toinflation. Users that wish to gradually become accustomed to anorthopedic pillow would start in this flat configuration until they areused to the particular foams used in the pillow. To construct thispillow, a piece of resilient material 1 has a flat-welded plastic airbladder 3 placed on the resilient material's top surface. For purposesof discussion, we will refer to the resilient material as foam, sincethe preferred embodiment is open-cell polyurethane foam. The foam isthen folded over and bonded to itself at bond line 2. During thisprocess, the top of the air bladder 2 may be adhesively bonded to thefoam or left unbonded. It has been found that there is sufficientfriction between the bladder and the foam that bonding is not generallynecessary to retain the bladder in the foam, and removability isdesirable in the event the bladder or foam must be replaced. The pillowis then complete, and is generally put into a fabric pillow-slip andpackaged for sale.

[0022]FIG. 1B shows the air bladder partially inflated with air or othergas 4. The user is now in his or her first stage of getting used to anorthopedic pillow shape, or has set the bladder at this shapepermanently to get at least some benefit. FIG. 1C shows the air bladderpartially inflated to a higher level. The user is now in his or hersecond stage of getting used to an orthopedic pillow shape, or has setthe bladder at this shape permanently to get some benefit. FIG. 1D showsthe bladder fully inflated to maximum bulbousness so that the user canget the full benefit of an orthopedically shaped pillow. In place of thebladder, any contour adjustment means could be utilized, for example, afluid-containing bladder or other adjustment means.

[0023] In prior art pillows, inventors and designers have gone to greatlengths to have the bottom surface of the pillow remain flat. It will benoted that the bottom surface of the pillows in FIGS. 1B, 1C, and 1D arenot flat. It is not necessary to have the bottom surface be flat, sincethe user does not lay his or her head on the bottom surface. I find thatan advantage of having both sides of the pillow same-shaped as in FIGS.1B, 1C, and 1D is that the user can flip the pillow over if it gets hot,sweaty, or saliva is drooled thereon. None of the prior art orthopedicpillows can be flipped over. While it may appear from FIGS. 1B, 1C, and1D that the user's head will be at an angle when the non-inflated sideof the pillow reaches the mattress, in practice the foam is very softand bends near the bulb or neck portion to level out the head portion ofthe pillow.

[0024] The resilient covering of the pillow should be flexible toaccommodate inflation of the air bladder so that the pillow isadjustable from flat to fully contoured. Preferably the pillow will beadjustable in desired increments, or discrete increments, to achieve adesired orthopedic effect. The resilient covering material may bepolyurethane foam, memory foam, latex foam rubber, fiber batting,buckling elastomers, or a resilient material that I made ofdiscontinuous pieces of a flexible material joined together with a lowdurometer high elongation elastomeric material. The resilient pillowcover will preferably be constructed so that the pillow is symmetricalwith respect to at least one axis, such as top/bottom symmetry, so thatthe pillow may be turned over and used on both sides.

[0025] It is desirable for users that intend to set the air bladders ata preferred level and leave them at that level, to have two differentheights on the two edges: One for when they lay on their side, andanother for when they lay on their backs. The preferred embodimentillustrated in FIGS. 2A-2H addresses these issues.

[0026]FIG. 2A shows the pillow 100 in the flat configuration includingthe bladder 30, foam folded over the bladder and bonded at 20. A secondsimple bladder 50 is installed near the opposite edge of the pillow frombladder 30. Bladder 50 can be the same size as bladder 30 orwider/narrower. FIGS. 2B, 2C, and 2D show increasing levels of inflationwith air or other gas 40. This configuration provides for two levels ofinflation for back and side sleeping.

[0027]FIGS. 2E, 2F, and 2G show that both bladders do not need to beincreased or decreased together in terms of inflation. For example, FIG.2G shows that when bladder 30 is at maximum inflation, bladder 50 is atlow inflation. FIG. 2F shows that the foam can be in two or more adheredpieces rather than one folded and adhered piece.

[0028]FIG. 2H shows another embodiment wherein the foam can be added toor replaced by a secondary padding layer 70. Examples of excellentmaterials 70 of my invention to add to or replace the foam are:polyester batting fiber; Reflex™ foam and other polyurethane foams byFoamex Corporation of Linwood, Pa.; viscoelastic (memory) foam; latexfoam rubber; and Gellycomb™ buckling-column elastomer by EdiZONE, LC.Gellycomb™ and its manufacture are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,749,111and 6,026,527 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/303,979 filed onMay 3, 1999 which are hereby incorporated by reference. The paddingmaterial 70 can replace some or all of the foam, and be on one or bothsides and around either or both ends or just on the laying surfaces.Multiple alternative padding materials may be added to the pillow at 70as desired.

[0029] Use of Gellycomb™ is highly valuable for pillows. Prior artpillows do not sufficiently conform to the fine contours of the face orhead while properly supporting the broader, flatter areas of the face orhead. Firmer materials such as firm polyurethane foam or buckwheat hullsare uncomfortable. Softer materials, such as soft polyurethane foam,down feathers, and imitation/substitute down feathers, are morecomfortable but when lying on the side the face sinks in until the noseis blocked and breathing is hampered, or until the eye is pressed uponuncomfortably. In other words, these softer materials conform well, butdo not properly support the broader, flatter areas of the face or head,which support is needed to keep the nose and eyes out of the pillow.Gellycomb™'s unique hollow buckling columns made of soft, rubbery gelconform to the fine features of the head or face by buckling where thereis a point load and resisting buckling where a broad area of the face orhead spans many columns. Thus it feels soft and comfortable but the facedoes not sink in far enough to irritate the nose and eye. Generally,Gellycomb™ is heat-bonded to a layer of non-woven fabric, and thatfabric is adhesively bonded to the foam core or other core.

[0030]FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C show other preferred embodiments of myinvention. Referring to FIG. 3A, the pillow 300 includes a foam core 81containing an inflatable bladder 31 is made similar to the pillowsdescribed above. Wrapped around the core 81 is a comfort layer 91.Generally, but not in every case, the comfort layer 91 is soft andallows easy cushioning penetration, while the core 8 is somewhat firmer.In this manner, the face contacts soft material for comfort but does notsink in so far as to smother the nose and eye while lying on the side.FIG. 3A shows comfort layer 91, which is made from pin-core latex foamrubber, such as Talatech™ made by Latex International West of Santa FeSprings, Calif. A good IFD (stiffness) for such foam is in the 10-13range.

[0031] Referring to FIG. 3B, another pillow 301 is shown with a foamlayer 82 containing air bladder 32. Wrapped about a portion of theexterior of the pillow is a comfort layer 102. The comfort layer 102 maybe made of a suitable cushioning media such as memory foam. Memory foamis available from Carpenter Foam of Freeport Center, Clearfield, Utah. Apreferred memory foam is about three pounds per cubic foot, thoughdenser foams, while more expensive, are even more preferred for comfort.

[0032]FIG. 3C shows a pillow 302 including foam layer 83 about airbladder 33 and topped by comfort layer 112. In this instance, thecomfort layer is a gelatinous buckling column structure of viscoelasticmaterial, such as Gellycomb™.

[0033] In each of FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C, the comfort layer wraps aroundthe top, shoulder area, and bottom of the pillow. Thus this preferredpillow is usable on both sides. Of course, a second bladder could beplaced at the other edge of the pillow as shown in other embodiments ofthe invention. Or, the bladder could be eliminated while retaining thebenefits of the soft and conforming comfort layer and the firmer innercore.

[0034] Referring to FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C, and 4D, a pillow such as a pillowconstructed according to the teachings of FIGS. 3A-3C, is shown atvarious stages of inflation, exhibiting the feature of infiniteadjustability from flat to full orthopedic contour. FIG. 4A depicts afirm inner core 401 of the pillow 400, such as a firm foam, a bladder403 for inflation, and an outer softer comfort layer 402. In FIG. 4A,the bladder is not inflated. In FIGS. 4B, 4C and 4D, the bladder isshown at increasing stages of inflation to provide a greater pillowheight and greater stiffness.

[0035] A preferred air bladder 512 for the pillows of my invention isshown in FIG. 5. It is made by placing a plastic film 520 adjacentanother identical film, then radio-frequency (RF) welding the desiredperimeter 513 shape (generally rectangular with rounded ends ispreferred). An air inlet is designed to work in harmony with aninflation device, which could be the human mouth or a hand pump or apowered pump. A means of sealing the air inlet must be provided. All ofthese things are well known in the air bladder art so are not disclosedin greater detail herein.

[0036] In FIG. 5, the air may be pumped into the bladder by means of anintegrally welded hand pump. The pump has a small hole 514 which allowsair into a bladder filled with a reticulated foam 515 or other means ofreinflating the pump. When the reticulated foam 515 is filled with air,the pump is squeezed with the hand while hole 514 is covered for exampleby the palm of the hand, which forces air through one-way valve 516 intothe bladder. A bleed valve 517 is situated so as to allow air to escapein the event the user desires less air in the bladder. Such integralpump/bleed systems have been used in the past by companies such asDielectrics Industries of Chicopee, Mass. for items such asshoe-tightening systems. Construction of such devices is depicted inU.S. Pat. Nos. 5,372,487 and 5,144,708 which are hereby incorporated byreference. The use of such a mechanism in a pillow bladder is unique tomy invention and offers the advantages of being inexpensive, out of theway, and easy to use and control. In one preferred embodiment, thebladder will take 50-100 squeezes of the pump to go from totally flat tocompletely filled. This allows small incremental adjustments, whichpractice shows is an important feature.

[0037] One aspect of my invention is an improved foam that is useful inthe outer pillow covering of the pillows of my invention as well as inother cushioning applications. I will refer to this as a gel/foamcombination. There exists a need for a foam in many pillowing/cushioningapplications that has a higher “hand” than prior art foams. Hand is theability of the foam beneath a pillowed object or person to sink indeeply without dragging surrounding foam down. An aspect of my inventionis to use small pieces of foam, which are very economically purchased asscrap from other manufacturing processes, and to bond these pieces offoam together with a soft, high-elongation elastomer. The soft versionsof gelatinous elastomer described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,994,450 which ishereby incorporated by reference are preferred.

[0038] A preferred elastomer stretches to twenty times its originallength, and can be made very soft in durometer. For example, the use ofeight to twelve parts by weight of mineral oil to one part by weight ofSepton 4055 SEEPS elastomer by Kuraray yields one preferred elastomer.The elastomer may includes various additives.

[0039] The elastomer acts as an easily deformable shear layer betweenparticles of foam, allowing them to displace easily relative to oneanother. This creates a very high hand, while the compressibility of thefoam particles imparts bulk stiffness to the foam so that the pillowedobject or person does not bottom out. The elastomer can be applied tothe foam particles in either solvated or melted form. If in solvatedform, the solvent must be driven off before use. If in melted form,preferred, once cooled the foam is ready to use. The elastomer mustpenetrate the surface of the foam particles sufficiently to interlockwith them. It is preferable to coat only the outer surface of the foam,but the elastomer can coat the interior portions of the foam as well.Advantages of this foam are myriad. The cost is very low for such adesirable foam because of the availability of scrap foams at low prices.The environment is helped by the recycling of the foam. The hand is veryhigh, making the foam very plush and comfortable while also beingsupportive. Since the preferred elastomer has excellent memory, the foamdoes not crush down over time to the extent that it would without theelastomer. The elastomer imparts a viscoelastic property to the foam, afeature existing only in very expensive prior art foams.

[0040] It is to be understood that the above representations of myinvention(s) are preferred embodiments only, and that many otherembodiments are possible, including other materials, methods, andcombinations. Many other applications for the pillows and cushioningmaterials disclosed herein are possible in addition to those mentioned.

1. A contourable orthopedic pillow comprising: an inflatable bladder,said inflatable bladder being capable of being inflated to a variety oflevels by placing a gas therein, a resilient material covering both thetop and bottom of said bladder, said resilient material being sufficientflexible to accommodate inflation of said bladder, wherein saidcombination of bladder and covering is symmetrical top to bottom so thatit can be turned over for use on either side, wherein the pillow may beadjusted from a fully flat configuration to a fully contouredconfiguration by inflating said bladder, wherein said bladder may beinflated in discrete increments by use of a pump, and wherein saidresilient material is overlaid with another padding material selectedfrom the group consisting of polyurethane foam, memory foam, latex foamrubber, fiber batting, buckling elastomers, and a resilient materialconsisting of discontinuous pieces of flexible material joined togetherby low durometer, high elongation elastomeric material.
 2. A pillow asrecited in claim 1 further comprising a second inflatable bladder.
 3. Apillow as recited in claim 1 further comprising: a pump integral to thepillow, the pump including a pump bladder having bladder walls, anorifice on a bladder wall through which a gas may travel as desired,resilient means located in said pump bladder, said resilient meansserving to re-expand said pump bladder after it has been contracted by asqueezing force, and a one-way valve between said pump bladder and saidinflatable gas-containing bladder to permit the pump to force gas intosaid inflatable gas-containing bladder, and a bleed valve on saidinflatable gas-containing bladder for permitting gas to escapetherefrom.
 4. A contourable orthopedic pillow comprising: an inflatablebladder, and a resilient material covering both the top and bottom ofsaid bladder, said resilient material being sufficiently flexible toaccommodate inflation of said bladder, wherein said resilient materialhas top/bottom symmetry so that the pillow can be turned over for use oneither side, wherein said bladder may be inflated and deflated to adjustcontour of the pillow from nearly flat to fully contoured, whereincontour of the pillow is adjustable in discrete increments by inflatingsaid bladder in discrete increments.
 5. A pillow as recited in claim 4further comprising a second inflatable bladder which may be inflated tofurther adjust orthopedic contour of the pillow.
 6. A pillow as recitedin claim 4 further comprising: a pump integral to the pillow, the pumpincluding a pump bladder having bladder walls, an orifice on a bladderwall through which a gas may travel as desired, resilient means locatedin said pump bladder, said resilient means serving to re-expand saidpump bladder after it has been contracted by a squeezing force, and aone-way valve between said pump bladder and said inflatablegas-containing bladder to permit the pump to force gas into saidinflatable gas-containing bladder, and a bleed valve on said inflatablegas-containing bladder for permitting gas to escape therefrom.
 7. Acontourable orthopedic pillow comprising: a bladder that may be inflatedby placement of a gas therein, and a resilient material coveringoverlaying both the top and bottom of said bladder, said resilientmaterial covering being sufficiently flexible to accommodate inflationof said bladder, wherein contour of the pillow is adjustable from nearlyflat to fully contoured by inflation of said bladder, and whereincontour of the pillow is adjustable in discrete increments.
 8. A pillowas recited in claim 7 further comprising a second inflatable bladderwhich may be inflated to further adjust orthopedic contour of thepillow.
 9. A pillow as recited in claim 7 further comprising a pumpintegral to the pillow, the pump including a pump bladder having bladderwalls, an orifice on a bladder wall through which a gas may travel asdesired, resilient means located in said pump bladder, said resilientmeans serving to re-expand said pump bladder after it has beencontracted by a squeezing force, and a one-way valve between said pumpbladder and said inflatable gas-containing bladder to permit the pump toforce gas into said inflatable gas-containing bladder, and a bleed valveon said inflatable gas-containing bladder for permitting gas to escapetherefrom.
 10. A pillow as recited in claim 7 wherein said resilientmaterial covering is selected from the group consisting of polyurethanefoam, memory foam, latex foam rubber, fiber batting, bucklingelastomers, and a resilient material that includes discontinuous piecesof flexible material joined together by low-durometer, high-elongationelastomeric material.
 11. A pillow as recited in claim 10 furthercomprising: a pump integral to the pillow, the pump including a pumpbladder having bladder walls, an orifice on a bladder wall through whicha gas may travel as desired, resilient means located in said pumpbladder, said resilient means serving to re-expand said pump bladderafter it has been contracted by a squeezing force, and a one-way valvebetween said pump bladder and said inflatable gas-containing bladder topermit the pump to force gas into said inflatable gas-containingbladder, and a bleed valve on said inflatable gas-containing bladder forpermitting gas to escape therefrom.
 12. A contourable orthopedic pillowcomprising: a bladder that may be inflated by placement of a gastherein, and a resilient material covering overlaying both the top andbottom of said bladder, said resilient material covering beingsufficiently flexible to accommodate inflation of said bladder, whereinsaid pillow is symmetrical from a top/bottom perspective so that it maybe turned over for use on either side.
 13. A pillow as recited in claim12 further comprising a second inflatable bladder which may be inflatedto further adjust orthopedic contour of the pillow.
 14. A pillow asrecited in claim 12 further comprising: a pump integral to the pillow,the pump including a pump bladder having bladder walls, an orifice on abladder wall through which a gas may travel as desired, resilient meanslocated in said pump bladder, said resilient means serving to re-expandsaid pump bladder after it has been contracted by a squeezing force, anda one-way valve between said pump bladder and said inflatablegas-containing bladder to permit the pump to force gas into saidinflatable gas-containing bladder, and a bleed valve on said inflatablegas-containing bladder for permitting gas to escape therefrom.
 15. Apillow as recited in claim 12 wherein said resilient material coveringis selected from the group consisting of polyurethane foam, memory foam,latex foam rubber, fiber batting, buckling elastomers, and a resilientmaterial that includes discontinuous pieces of flexible material joinedtogether by low-durometer, high-elongation elastomeric material.
 16. Apillow as recited in claim 15 further comprising: a pump integral to thepillow, the pump including a pump bladder having bladder walls, anorifice on a bladder wall through which a gas may travel as desired,resilient means located in said pump bladder, said resilient meansserving to re-expand said pump bladder after it has been contracted by asqueezing force, and a one-way valve between said pump bladder and saidinflatable gas-containing bladder to permit the pump to force gas intosaid inflatable gas-containing bladder, and a bleed valve on saidinflatable gas-containing bladder for permitting gas to escapetherefrom.
 17. A contourable orthopedic cushion comprising: a bladderthat may be inflated by placement of a gas therein, and a resilientmaterial covering overlaying both the top and bottom of said bladder,said resilient material covering being sufficiently flexible toaccommodate inflation of said bladder, wherein said pillow issymmetrical from a top/bottom perspective so that it may be turned overfor use on either side.
 18. A cushion as recited in claim 17 furthercomprising a second inflatable bladder which may be inflated to furtheradjust orthopedic contour of the pillow.
 19. A cushion as recited inclaim 17 further comprising: a pump integral to the pillow, the pumpincluding a pump bladder having bladder walls, an orifice on a bladderwall through which a gas may travel as desired, resilient means locatedin said pump bladder, said resilient means serving to re-expand saidpump bladder after it has been contracted by a squeezing force, and aone-way valve between said pump bladder and said inflatablegas-containing bladder to permit the pump to force gas into saidinflatable gas-containing bladder, and a bleed valve on said inflatablegas-containing bladder for permitting gas to escape therefrom.
 20. Acushion as recited in claim 17 wherein said resilient material coveringis selected from the group consisting of polyurethane foam, memory foam,latex foam rubber, fiber batting, buckling elastomers, and a resilientmaterial that includes discontinuous pieces of flexible material joinedtogether by low-durometer, high-elongation elastomeric material.
 21. Acushion as recited in claim 20 further comprising: a pump integral tothe pillow, the pump including a pump bladder having bladder walls, anorifice on a bladder wall through which a gas may travel as desired,resilient means located in said pump bladder, said resilient meansserving to re-expand said pump bladder after it has been contracted by asqueezing force, and a one-way valve between said pump bladder and saidinflatable gas-containing bladder to permit the pump to force gas intosaid inflatable gas-containing bladder, and a bleed valve on saidinflatable gas-containing bladder for permitting gas to escapetherefrom.
 22. A contourable orthopedic pillow for cushioning the headand neck of a user comprising: a core section fabricated from aresilient material, an overlay on said core section, said overlay beingof a material that is softer than said core section.
 23. A pillow asrecited in claim 22 wherein the pillow has top/bottom symmetry so thatit may be turned over and used on either side.
 24. A pillow as recitedin claim 22 further comprising an adjustment means located in said coresection, said adjustment means being capable of adjusting the contour ofthe pillow to a variety of levels in discrete increments by placing agas therein.
 25. A pillow as recited in claim 24 wherein said adjustmentmeans is a fluid-containing bladder.
 26. A pillow as recited in claim 22wherein said overlay includes a material selected from the groupconsisting of latex foam rubber, buckling elastomer, and a resilientmaterial that has discontinuous pieces of a flexible material joinedtogether by a low-durometer, high-elongation elastomeric material.
 27. Apillow as recited in claim 22 wherein said overlay includes a materialselected from the group consisting of elastomers and a resilientmaterial that has discontinuous pieces of a flexible material joinedtogether by a low-durometer, high-elongation elastomeric material.
 28. Apillow for cushioning the head and neck of a user comprising: a coresection fabricated from a resilient material, an overlay on said coresection; wherein said overlay includes a material selected from thegroup consisting of latex foam rubber, buckling elastomer, and aresilient material that has discontinuous pieces of a flexible materialjoined together by a low-durometer, high-elongation elastomericmaterial.
 29. A pillow as recited in claim 28 wherein the pillow hastop/bottom symmetry so that it may be turned over and used on eitherside.
 30. A pillow as recited in claim 28 further comprising aninflatable bladder located in said core section, said inflatable bladderbeing capable of being inflatable to a variety of levels by placing agas therein.
 31. A pillow as recited in claim 28 further comprising anadjustment means located in said core section, said adjustment meansbeing capable of adjusting the contour of the pillow to a variety oflevels in discrete increments by placing a gas therein.
 32. A pillow asrecited in claim 31 wherein said adjustment means is a fluid-containingbladder.
 33. A cushion for cushioning the head and neck of a usercomprising: a core section fabricated from a resilient material, anoverlay on said core section; wherein said overlay includes a materialselected from the group consisting of latex foam rubber, bucklingelastomer, and a resilient material that has discontinuous pieces of aflexible material joined together by a low-durometer, high-elongationelastomeric material.
 34. A cushion as recited in claim 28 wherein thecushion has top/bottom symmetry so that it may be turned over and usedon either side.
 35. A cushion as recited in claim 28 further comprisingan inflatable bladder located in said core section, said inflatablebladder being capable of being inflatable to a variety of levels byplacing a gas therein.
 36. A cushion as recited in claim 28 furthercomprising an adjustment means located in said core section, saidadjustment means being capable of adjusting the contour of the cushionto a variety of levels in discrete increments by placing a gas therein.37. A cushion as recited in claim 31 wherein said adjustment means is afluid-containing bladder.
 38. A bed pillow comprising: a plurality ofdiscrete pieces of resilient material joined together by pieces oflow-durometer, high-elongation elastomeric material.
 39. A pillow asrecited in claim 38 wherein the pillow has an orthopedic contour forsupport of the head and neck.
 40. A pillow as recited in claim 39further comprising an inflatable bladder in the pillow.
 41. A cushioncomprising: a plurality of discrete pieces of resilient material joinedtogether by pieces of low-durometer, high-elongation elastomericmaterial.
 42. A cushion as recited in claim 41 wherein said cushion isconfigured to support a human head.
 43. A cushion as recited in claim 42wherein the cushion has an orthopedic contour for support of the headand neck.
 44. A cushion as recited in claim 41 further comprising aninflatable bladder in the pillow.
 45. A cushion as recited in 44 whereinsaid cushion is configured to support a human head.
 46. Ashape-adjustable cushion comprising: an inflatable gas-containingbladder constructed from at least two layers of film welded together,said bladder being of a construction which permits it to substantiallycontain gas placed therein, a pump integral to the pillow, the pumpincluding a pump bladder having bladder walls, an orifice on a bladderwall through which a gas may travel as desired, resilient means forre-expanding said pump bladder after it has been contracted by asqueezing force, and a one-way valve between said pump and saidinflatable gas-containing bladder to permit the pump to force gas intosaid inflatable gas-containing bladder, a means for allowing gas toescape said gas-containing bladder, and resilient material covering atleast two sides of said inflatable gas-containing bladder.
 47. A cushionas recited in claim 46 wherein the cushion is adapted for supporting thehead and neck of a user.
 48. A cushion as recited in claim 46 whereinsaid resilient material is selected from the group consisting ofpolyurethane foam, memory foam, latex foam rubber, fiber batting andelastomer.
 49. A cushion as recited in claim 48 wherein the cushion isadapted for supporting the head and neck of a user.